Lance: A Hathaway House Heartwarming Romance Read online

  Lance

  Hathaway House, Book 12

  Dale Mayer

  Books in This Series:

  Aaron, Book 1

  Brock, Book 2

  Cole, Book 3

  Denton, Book 4

  Elliot, Book 5

  Finn, Book 6

  Gregory, Book 7

  Heath, Book 8

  Iain, Book 9

  Jaden, Book 10

  Keith, Book 11

  Lance, Book 12

  Melissa, Book 13

  Nash, Book 14

  Owen, Book 15

  Hathaway House, Books 1–3

  Hathaway House, Books 4–6

  Hathaway House, Books 7–9

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  About This Book

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  About Melissa

  Author’s Note

  Complimentary Download

  About the Author

  Copyright Page

  About This Book

  Welcome to Hathaway House. Rehab Center. Safe Haven. Second chance at life and love.

  Lance Mayfair sought out Hathaway House at the recommendation of a friend, who told him it was an answer to prayer. Lance knows more about prayers than answers, but, if he can see progress in one particular area of his life and health, it will be worth the effort and the pain. He’ll do anything he can to play music again. It’s all he has left now that his days as a Navy SEAL are over and, with them, any chance of a happy, productive life.

  However, the shoulder injury that ended his career pretty much guarantees he’ll never play his beloved instruments ever again.

  Unless Hathaway House and Jessica can work a miracle.

  Jessica has worked with many patients at Hathaway House, but she connects with Lance in a way she didn’t with any of the others. She can see the need inside him—his desire to create again, to heal through music. And his goal becomes her goal: to see him play music in his soul again.

  Only his music isn’t all he wants or needs, and making him happy goes a long way to making her happy, but it’s not enough. Both want and need so much more.

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  Prologue

  Lance Mayfair stared at the picture from Iain. In fact, multiple photos. None of them were registering as being from his friend. How was that even possible? Iain had left the same VA hospital where Lance still was, but Iain had been a mess. A determined jokester but somebody who would turn his life around. They hadn’t talked too long or too deep about their real issues because it had been painful for them all. But Lance never really expected to hear from Iain again. Instead, here he was, sending photos and letting Lance know that there was life after the VA hospital. Not only life but a crazy-good life. Lance stared in shock, and then he read the message again.

  The text message with the photos was simple. Get here. It’ll make all the difference in the world.

  Lance quickly responded and wrote, But will it? Or is it just more false hope?

  Iain answered almost immediately. No, it’s not false hope at all.

  And then his phone rang. Lance picked up and answered, knowing it would be Iain. “Are you sure? Because, man, these look like they’ve been through Photoshop. Many times over.”

  Iain’s laughter boomed through the phone. “I know they do,” he said. “However, I would never steer you wrong. It’s a completely different world now. Take a look at that last photo. That is me right now,” he said. “So compare that to where I was when you saw me last.”

  “It’s unbelievable,” he said.

  “I know it’s unbelievable, but it happened here, and you can do it too. Don’t mess up. This is one of the biggest opportunities you’ll ever have,” he said. “Send in your application, and I’ll put in a good word.”

  And, with that, Iain hung up and left Lance to his rather dark thoughts. It was hard to be in the same place forever with no progress. The doctors had pretty well decided he was as good as he would get, and that was it. So what would he do with his life? How was he supposed to deal with that when everything seemed to be so off-kilter? It’s not what he wanted for his life. This wasn’t what he expected, and so much anger was inside that he just didn’t know how to deal with it.

  If he listened to Iain, Lance might have another chance at something more, but that didn’t mean that Iain’s progress would be the progress Lance would see. And that was one of the hardest things he had experienced in life. Realizing that something worked for everybody else, but you were the one exception. You were the guy it wouldn’t work for. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want any more of that same depressing “likely to be your future” results.

  But, after looking at those photos, Lance wondered about that small voice which asked Lance if he really would pass up the one opportunity that might make a difference. And, of course, he didn’t dare. Because his world hinged on it. He quickly followed the link in the email to the Hathaway House application form. He looked at it, took a slow but deep breath, and quickly downloaded the file.

  If he just filled it out and sent it in, that action alone was a whole different story. He could at least say he tried. With one last look at the photos from Iain, Lance completed the application, quickly attached it to an email, and sent it off, using Iain’s and Jaden’s names as references. Because Lance would do anything he could to be that man who Iain had showed him was possible.

  Now Lance just had to hope that one more miracle was left for him too.

  Chapter 1

  Lance’s arrival seemed to be just one more blip in the long day, both his stamina and his patience put to the test as he waited at Hathaway House to be admitted. The chaos at the front reception desk did little to ease his own insecurity about his arrival here or his confidence in his decision. In the back of his mind he couldn’t help but remember that Iain was a joker of the highest order. What if he had been joking with all those emails back and forth, with the photos that had inspired a little flicker of hope in Lance’s seemingly hopeless situation?

  Again he thought, Those pictures could have been easily altered by Photoshop. They could have been doctored enough to make it look like Iain was something he wasn’t anymore. Although that would have been a joke gone too far. Lance had even asked him outright, and Iain had tried to alleviate his fears, but it was hard. Miraculously Lance’s application had been accepted, and he was now committing to a massive change in his world, and it was all because of Iain. Lance knew Jaden was here too, and maybe that was a good thing.

  Lance currently sat in a wheelchair, shaky from the long trip, parked off to the side of the reception area, a big man, an orderly, holding on to Lance’s chair.

  Just then a whistle broke through, and a small woman stepped from her office off to the side, and, with a glare, said, “What is going on here?” The receptionist looked relieved as she stepped forward.

  “Dani, we have a problem. Steven here is trying to leave, and Jonathan is here to check in. But Steven isn’t supposed to go until tomorrow, at least according to my records. Jonathan says he was supposed to be in today, but I’m not seeing it.”

  D
ani shook her head. “So, they’re assigned to the same room. Is that the idea?”

  The receptionist nodded, blowing a strand of hair from her flushed face.

  Dani looked at Steven and said, “Steven, we went over this. Today is Tuesday. Your bride is coming Wednesday.”

  He frowned at her. “No, see? They told me Tuesday,” and he held up a cell phone.

  She looked at the cell phone message. “Well, that may be, but you haven’t been signed out of here yet. The doctor only approved you to leave tomorrow. So, if you make changes to your arrangements,” she said, “you have to let us know.”

  He looked at her, looked at his phone again, and said, “Oh. But this guy wants in today, so why can’t I just leave early?”

  “I’m not saying you can’t,” she said, “but I have to get the doctor to sign off on this.” She turned to look at the new arrival. “And you must be Jonathan, correct?” She reached out a hand. He nodded and shook her hand. He was at least ambulatory from what Lance could see. She smiled and said, “So you’re a day early. How come?”

  Jonathan shrugged and said, “I was supposed to spend the night in town, but the hotel didn’t have a room for me for some reason, so I took a shot and had a cab bring me straight here.”

  “Figuring that we might have a room for you instead?” she said with a note of humor.

  He had the grace to look ashamed. “I know I’m not expected until tomorrow.”

  “No, you aren’t,” she said. “However, it’s not the end of the world. So why don’t you both go sit down and give us a chance to sort this out.” Then she turned and looked at Lance. She took several steps over, held out her hand, and said, “So, you’re a new arrival as well, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m Lance,” he said.

  “Good,” she said. “You, I was expecting.” A note of humor was in her voice, and he was amazed that she had kept her cool as much as she could.

  She said, “I’m Dani, and I run this place with my father,” she said, as she turned to the receptionist and said, “Melanie, Lance’s room should be ready.”

  The receptionist quickly made several clicking motions on the keys, then looked up and nodded. “Yes, he’s in room 1214.”

  “Good,” Dani said. Turning back to Lance, she smiled, motioned at the big man standing behind Lance, and said, “I’ll let Jim here take you to your room. I’ll be there in a few minutes with your introduction package, and we’ll go over everything you need to know. Is that okay?”

  He nodded and smiled. “Of course. I’m assuming you’ll get this fixed first,” he said with a wave to the other two guys.

  “Let’s hope,” she said, stepping out of the way with a smile. Jim, the big burly orderly behind Lance, immediately picked up Lance’s bags, tossed them over his shoulders, and pushed his wheelchair out and away from the reception area.

  “Well, I’m glad I have a proper room at least,” he said.

  Jim laughed. “It happens,” he said. “At every center everybody always wants to leave early, and we do get a few people who try to come in early, but it does mess up the count on the available beds. We’re always full up, so it’s not like we can just shuffle out a bed for an unexpected visitor.”

  He wondered at that. “I guess there’s also all the cleaning and housekeeping that has to be done when a room changes over.”

  “Top to bottom,” Jim said, a smile in his voice. He pushed Lance down a long hallway, with several short hallways leading off to the sides. They passed a large open game room, where several guys were playing pool, others reading, and a big screen TV played with a basketball game on.

  “So, what’s this? A common room?”

  “One of them,” he said, sounding cheerful as they passed another hallway.

  From that area Lance heard the sounds of dishes clinking together. “So, somewhere down there is the cafeteria?”

  “Exactly,” he said. “Once we get you settled in your room,” he said, “and depending on how you feel, I can either grab you a cup of coffee or whatever you want or maybe take you around for a little bit of a tour until Dani comes.”

  “Not a bad idea, at that,” he said. “Any idea if Jaden is still here?”

  “Jaden, Jaden, Jaden,” he muttered. “Hmm, I’m not sure I remember that one,” he said. “It’s a big place though, and we’re generally assigned to one area, so we all get to know each other better in our own sections.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. “I’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Friend of yours?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I was just hoping maybe I could see him before he leaves.”

  “If he’s here, you sure will,” he said. “First things first, so let’s get you into your room.”

  They kept moving down the hallway, and then he turned a corner and then another corner. “Wow, you’re right. This is a big place.”

  “You have no idea,” he said. As they came to the end of the hallway, on the right-hand side was an open door. Jim wheeled him in and said, “This is your room. Got your own bathroom, and you look out over the horses,” he said. “Hopefully that’s not a hardship for you.”

  “I still struggle with the fact that you have animals right here with you,” he said.

  “Yeah, I know, but that’s one of the joys of the place.”

  “I agree,” he said. “It’s pretty special.”

  With Jim’s help, Lance made the couple steps from the wheelchair to the bed. When he sank down onto the bed, he shifted his weight backward and stretched out and groaned with relief.

  “How about I help you raise the head of the bed a little bit,” he said, “and I’ll show you how the mechanics work.” Together they adjusted the bed so Lance was at a better angle and much more comfortable.

  From there, he could even look out over the horses and the pastures. His gaze was drawn to the green grass, the white fences, and the animals free to move about. “It’s a beautiful view,” he said.

  “It is. Almost everybody on this side gets a similar view,” Jim said. He dropped Lance’s bags over by a wall with built-in cupboards and said, “When you get rested up a bit and feeling better, you can unpack over here. If you need help, just let somebody know, and one of us will give you a hand.”

  He nodded. “That sounds great,” he said. “It’s been a very long day.”

  “That’s why I would offer you a cup of coffee or some water,” he said. “Something to hold you over until Dani gets here.”

  “Do you think she’ll be all that long?”

  “Nope,” Jim said. “Dani is really good at sorting out stuff like that.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he said, laughing. “I don’t envy her that job.”

  “It’s her place,” Jim said, “so, for her, it’s less about a job and more about a passion.”

  “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “I did hear something about that.”

  “She started the place for her father, and, once she got it going, a tsunami of others with like needs came here too,” Jim said, his tone respectful.

  “That’s cool,” Lance said, feeling hopeful.

  Jim headed for the door and said, “Coffee? Or something else?”

  Lance leaned back, thought about it, and said, “How about a hot cup of tea instead?”

  “You got it,” he said. “Milk? Sugar?”

  “A little bit of milk would be great, thanks.” And, just like that, Jim left. Lance should get up and unpack. It was part of his motto for life to do what he needed to do today and to not push it off, but his body was just too sore and too tired to tackle it now. He thought, if he could curl up under a blanket, he’d sleep. But he lay on top of the blankets, and it was way too much of a headache to try to get under them. Besides, he didn’t want to be asleep when Dani arrived. He still had yet to be properly introduced to the place. He was sure he had a mess of paperwork to handle as well. Jim came back with the tea, just a few minutes later.

  “Here you go. If you need any
thing else, you’ve got a buzzer right beside you,” he said. “Seriously, don’t hesitate if you need it for anything. Somebody will come to your aid.” And, with that, he took off.

  Lance leaned back and sipped his tea, but, when he heard light footsteps coming down the hallway, he wasn’t surprised to see Dani walk in with a bright smile on her face. “Did you get the rooms all sorted out?”

  “All sorted,” she said. “There aren’t all that many places like this where people are so eager to get into it, right?” she said with a laugh.

  He smiled. “Well, it’s good advertisement if nothing else.”

  She nodded. “And how are you doing after your trip?”

  “Questioning my choice,” he said bluntly. “Double questioning actually.”

  “I get it,” she said. “So, double question all you want, but you’re here, so make the best of it. An awful lot of good work is happening in Hathaway House.”

  “I hope so,” he said, shifting in the bed.

  “You look worn out,” she said. “Do you want to catch a nap before dinner?”

  “I was thinking about it,” he said, “but I’m lying on the blankets, and that seems like way too much trouble to deal with.”

  She walked over to the cupboard, pulled out another blanket, and, opening it up, she spread it across him. “More linens and such are always in the cupboard, and, if you find that you need something that’s not there, just let us know.” Then she said, “Now I have a packet for you.” She proceeded to go over the details on his own personal iPad, showing him how it worked. She went over his team, listing all the people who would come by to see him. Then she went to a general information tab, where information about meals could be found and about how the system here works. “Dinner will start in forty-five minutes, so, if you want to have a rest, go for it. You’ve got a two-hour window for eating dinner from the buffet line,” she said, “but, if you happen to sleep through a meal and wake up afterward, not to worry. Just go on to the cafeteria. There will always be food for you,” she said.